Life boat for aeroplanes



Aug. 13} 1929., v. s c 1,724,622

LIFEBOAT FOR AEROPLANES Filed Nov. 14, 1927 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 Aug. 13, 1929.

L. v. slRcY 1,724,622

LIFE BOAT FOR AEROPLANES Filed Nov. 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 the crew of the aeroplane.

.- ing a cabin the aeroplane,

, verted and, on

position .by latches, there Patented Aug. 13, 1929.

1'.ESTER v. smear, or nos mamas, camromna.

nomron maormnns.

Application filed November 14, 1927. Serial in. 233,147.

My invention is a life boat for aeroplanes.

An object of my invention is to construct an aeroplane with part of the fuselage of such design that it should the aeroplane, under necessity, alight on the water.

A more detailed object of the construction of a fuselage with the upper part of the tail of such construction that it boat and detached body of the fuselage to carry In this connecobject of my invention is formlike construction and carrying may be utitlized as a life from the main tion a detailed ing the boat same in an inverted position, bottom up,

and arranging the construction so that it may be readily disconnected from the main portion of the fuselage and turned right side up in launching.

- constructing my invention Iutilize a typical form of aeroplane, such as the land machine type, and preferably a machine havfor the crew and for the passengers, if any. The tail portion of the selage, preferably from sllghtly forward of the trailing edge of thewings to a position adjacentthe rudder, comprises a.boat like structure, the under surface of the boat conforming to the upper surface of the fuselage. .The boat structure is thus carried insail and rudder securely lashed. structure is also provided with compartments in which the passengers and crew may sit and has water-tight storage compartments for food, water, and other supplies. he boat is constructed so that the bow end is held adjacent the stern or rudders of whereas the stern" of the boat is supported and latched adjacent the wings. The bow is held in position by a pivot stud, and the stern part of the boat is retained in being springs which are compressed so that on releasing of the springs, the springs elevate the boat structure so that it may be readily launched. The roof of the forward the cabin is provided with an opening so that the crew and passengers may readily, escape and take to the boat.

My invention is illustrated in the accom may be used as a life boat' my invention isthat is, with the h 'ders.

the deck, has cars, a mast, a

The boat .b

part of the fuselage over Fig. 2 is a plan view.

ig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the boat removed om the aeroplane. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section through the boat on the line 5-5 ,of Fig. 4 in the direction of thearrows.

Fig. 6 is avertical section through the aeroplane substantially on the line M of Fig.3 looking towards the stern.

y invention is applied to the conventional type inwhich the selage 1n general is designated bythe numeral '11, aving a forward cabin section 12, and a tail section 13.1 The machine is provided with the usual chassis 14 with the wings 15, horizontal fin 16, vertical fin 17 and horizontal rudder 18 and vertical rudder '19.

The tail portion on a line20 and at the front end also has'a termination 21, which may have a partition, and has a vertical termination line 22 adjacent the rud- In thespace bounded by the lines 20, 21 and 22, there is positioned the life, boat designated generally by the numeral 23.

is boat is illustrated more particularly in Figs. 3 through 6, in which the bottom 24 of the-boat forms the top of the tail portion of the fuselage, and the deck 25 of the oat forms the horizontal roof above the tail portion of the fuselage. The boat has preferably a s uare how 25' and a square. stem 26. The oat structure is held in osition by'means of a pair of latch bolts 27 which are slidably mounted on the main portion of the fusela e, being preferably mounted ona relative y heavy cross beam 28, these bolts engaging in sockets 29 on the bottom of the boat structure.

pair or more of relatively powerful compression springs 30 are mounted on a shelf 31 secured to the cabin part of the fuselage and. preferably to a partition 32. These springs thrust upwardly of the boat. The bow of the boat has a pivot stud. 33 which .is received in a socket 34 on the tail portion of the aeroplane adjacent the and rudders. The top of the cabin or wings has an opening 35 which may be covered or not by a tra door as desired, through which the crew o the plane and the passengers ma escape when landing on water, and detac the boat.

e boat structure in detail has an eye of the fuselage has the walls terminating substantially an aero lane of on the deck 36 adjacent the bow to which may be attached a cable 37 for mooring the boat to the aeroplane, and has a mast step'38 in the form of a tube extending from the bottom of the boat through the deck. A partition 39' forms the whole forward part of the boat into a water-tight chamber, and back of this chamber there is a forward and a rear cock-pit 39 and 40, each of sides 41 facing towards the bow, the partition 39' having/a horizontal section 42 to accommodate the knees of the persons 00- cupying the seat in the cock-pit. Forward of the cock-pit there is also a partition 43' similar to the partition 39' and also having a horizontal section to accommodate the knees of the persons in such cock-pit; The cock-pits are provided with a curtain 44 which may, be drawn tight around the persons sitting therein and thus keezp the water out.

onveniently positioned in regard to the I cock-pits there are a series of tanks 45 with rudder post .down through the pipe 47 after the bbat has been sprung up by the springs 30; or if there is not time for this, the rudder can be shipped after the boat is in the wafore .such landing one cabin through ter, by reaching over the stern. A sail 56 is held in place by lashings 57. k

The manner of using and'launching the boatis substantially as follows:

' Presuming' that the crew have warning of a forceddanding on the water, just.'be-

of the members of the crew can, if desired, pull-the latched bolts 27 so that the boat will be elevated at the stern by the-springs 30; or if desired this may be done after the plane lands on the water and is floating on the fuselage, the

pivot stud ;33 inathis action holding the bow of the boat-at the tail end of the aeroplane. When the crew and passengers are ready to leave the aeroplane, they can get out of the the opening or hatchway 35 and then by taking hold ofone side of the boat they can tilt it-over so that it is in-' verted', that is, so that it lands in the water with the deck up and the bottom down. The crew and the assengers may in the boat an out this loose from theaeroplane, if this shows signs of sinking, or if they wish to leave it.

Thc'sail', rudderand oars 'provi de means which has then embark for propulsion and it is understood that one of the storage compartments would be provided with navigating instruments. -The boat, as above mentioned, has a number of water-tight compartments and as the tanks for provisions are made Water-tight, there is no particular danger of the provisions beingIdamaged by water.

arious changes may ciples of my invention without departing be made in the prinfrom the spirit thereof, as setforth in the description, drawing and claims.

I claim:

1. In an aeroplane, the combination of a fuselage, a detachable boat structure built into the top of the fuselage, the bottom of the boat forming the top of the fuselage, means to retain the boat structure in locked position in'reference to the main body of the fuselage, and means on unlocking to raise one end of the boat whereby the boat may be detached from the fuselage structure.

2. In. an aeroplane, the combination of afuselage, a boat structure built into the upper part of the fuselage, one part of the boat forming the top of the fuselage, the boat having a pivotal connection at one end to one part of the fuselage, means to latch the other end to another part of the fuselage, and means on releasing of said latches to partly elevate the boat.

3. In an aeroplane, the combination of a fuselage having a boat structure built into the top thereof, the bottom of'the boat forming the top of the fuselage, one end of the boat being pivotally connected to one end of the fuselage, the other end of the boat being retained by latches, the latches to raise thereby.

4. In an aeroplane,

and means on releasing of the end of the boat held the combination of a fuselage, a detachable boat structure built therein, part of the boat forming the top of the fuselage and the sides of the boat forming' part of the sides of the fuselage, means to retain the boat in position on .the main body of the fuselage, end of the boat to facilitate launching and detaching of theboat from the fuselage.

5. In an aeroplane, the combination of a fuselage having a boat structure mounted therein and forming and means to partly raise one art of the fuselage, the

bottom of the boat ormin the top of the fuselage and the bow of cent the rear end of the fuselage, means to retain the bow end by a pivotal connection, latches to retain the stern endof the boat, and springs on releasing of stern end of the boat.

6. In an aeroplane, the. combination of a fuselage having a boat structure built under the upper partthereof, the bottom of the boat forming the top of thefuselage, the deck of the boat the latches to liftv the the oat being adja- I having navigation equipment; mounted thereon, means to retain the boat 1n 13o position on the main part of the fuselage, and

. spring means to elevate part of the boat to facilitate launching.

7 In an aeroplane, as claimed in claim (3 5 one end of the boat being connected by a stu and socket connection with one end of the fuselage, the other end of the boat being retained by a latching means, said boatbeing tiltable whenele'vated, utilizing the pin and socket as a pintle for overturning.

8. In an aeroplane, the combination of a fuselage having a boat structure built therein, the bottom of the boat forming the top of lthe fuselage, said boat havin water-tight compartments and cock-pits or the crew navigation equipment secured to the decko'f the boat, means to attach the boat to the main part of the fuselage, and means to partly name to this specification.

part of the boat to facilitate lage, a latching means holding the stern of the boat adjacent the wings of the aeroplane,

a" spring interconnected'between the boat structure and the main portion of the fuselage v to partly elevate the boat on a release of said latches. V

In testimony whereof I have slgned my L. V. SIRCY; 

